CRNA School Prep Academy Podcast

Want conference-level CRNA school prep from home?

The CSPA Digital Pass gives you access to expert sessions, applicant guidance, and powerful takeaways from the CSPA Conference.

For a limited time, Intensive students get it included with enrollment.

👉Get your Digital Pass today.

👉Join an Intensive today.

The CSPA Conference experience is now available on demand.

With the Digital Pass, you can access CRNA school prep sessions, expert g...

Want conference-level CRNA school prep from home?

The CSPA Digital Pass gives you access to expert sessions, applicant guidance, and powerful takeaways from the CSPA Conference.

For a limited time, Intensive students get it included with enrollment.

👉Get your Digital Pass today.

👉Join an Intensive today.

The CSPA Conference experience is now available on demand.

With the Digital Pass, you can access CRNA school prep sessions, expert g...

Want conference-level CRNA school prep from home?

The CSPA Digital Pass gives you access to expert sessions, applicant guidance, and powerful takeaways from the CSPA Conference.

For a limited time, Intensive students get it included with enrollment.

👉Get your Digital Pass today.

👉Join an Intensive today.

The CSPA Conference experience is now available on demand.

With the Digital Pass, you can access CRNA school prep sessions, expert g...

Want conference-level CRNA school prep from home?

The CSPA Digital Pass gives you access to expert sessions, applicant guidance, and powerful takeaways from the CSPA Conference.

For a limited time, Intensive students get it included with enrollment.

👉Get your Digital Pass today.

👉Join an Intensive today.

The CSPA Conference experience is now available on demand.

With the Digital Pass, you can access CRNA school prep sessions, expert g...

CRNA school admissions can feel like guesswork until you hear how faculty break it down in real time. We sit down with Dr. Matthew Harmon, a CRNA educator and admissions leader (and assistant program director at the University of Evansville), for an Instagram Live Q and A packed with the kind of specifics applicants crave: what actually makes a competitive application, how to prepare for tough interview formats, and what “goo...

We break down the real difference between ventilation and oxygenation and explain why mixing them up leads to bad reads on ETCO2, SpO2, and ABGs. Then we open the floor for live Q and A on CRNA admissions, interviews, prerequisites, and ways to strengthen an application. 
• Ventilation as a mechanical process moving air and clearing CO2 
• How we measure ventilation with tidal volume, respiratory rate, minute ventil...

Ready for a real look inside CRNA admissions and the evolving practice of anesthesia? We invited Dr. Michelle Ballister—CRNA of 18 years, former admissions chair, and longtime educator—to share what truly moves the needle for applicants and what today’s anesthesia landscape demands from new clinicians. She pulls back the curtain on how committees segment GPAs (cumulative, science, prerequisite), why repeats aren&r...

Pressors save lives, but only when they match the real problem. Dr. Matthew Harmon joins us to decode how norepinephrine, phenylephrine, and vasopressin change vascular tone, cardiac output, and organ perfusion—and how to pick the right one under pressure. 

We start with a crisp hemodynamic framework: MAP as the product of cardiac output and SVR, and stroke volume shaped by preload, contractility, and afterload. From ther...

Ready for a clear, candid roadmap to CRNA school? Dr. Newman, a 21-year CRNA and seasoned admissions educator, takes over the mic to answer your toughest questions about applications, interviews, and the realities of nurse anesthesia training. 

 If you’ve wondered whether to retake sciences, how much shadowing truly matters, or why your CCRN score (not just the pass) can shift your odds, this session gives yo...

Perfection isn’t the price of entry. Dr. Matthew Harmon, CRNA and faculty coach, sits down with our community for a candid Q&A on what admissions committees really value and how to turn your current profile into a compelling yes. We dig into emotional intelligence interviews, realistic GPA strategies, and actionable ways to show programs that you’re ready for the rigor and responsibility of anesthesia training.
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A still body can hide a restless mind. We take you inside the judgment calls that separate safe care from silent suffering, breaking down why sedation must come before paralysis, how to pick the right agent for the job, and what real monitoring looks like when movement disappears. 

Featuring CSPA faculty coach and Assistant Program Director at the University of Evansville Dr. Matthew Harmon, DNP, CRNA, tune in as we map the cor...

Getting into CRNA school can feel overwhelming, especially when you start comparing GPA requirements and wondering what’s really “good enough.” Maybe you’re asking yourself, Do I need to retake science classes for CRNA school? Should I take graduate-level courses to boost my GPA? Will they even accept a class from Portage Learning? You’re not alone.

Many nurses applying to CRNA programs find themselves ...

Starting your journey as an ICU nurse can feel both exciting and overwhelming, especially when you’re learning to balance patient care, critical thinking, and confidence in a high-acuity environment. From mastering hemodynamics to finding mentorship and clarity about your future goals, every nurse’s path begins with growth.

In this episode of the CSPA Podcast, Jenny talks with real ICU nurses she met at the NTI Conferenc...

Starting out in the ICU as a brand-new nurse is never easy—especially when you’re balancing life as a dad, navigating the burn unit, and staring down a 3.0 GPA on your way to CRNA.

In this episode of the CSPA Podcast, Jenny sits down with Jacob, an experienced ICU and travel nurse, to share his inspiring journey from burn trauma to CRNA school acceptance, recorded live at NTI 2025 in New Orleans.

Whether you’re an a...

Cardiogenic Shock: Clinical Insights with Nicole Kupchik, MN, RN, CCNS, CCRN-CMC, PCCN

In this special episode, Dr. Richard Wilson, DNAP, CRNA sits down with critical care educator Nicole Kupchik to unpack practical bedside considerations for managing cardiogenic shock in ICU patients. From vasopressors to mechanical support, this discussion offers real-world insight into how seasoned clinicians think through this complex condition.

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FREE! CRNA School Interview Prep Guide: https://www.cspaedu.com/uc9a5ih4

Have you ever wondered why your patient becomes tachycardic during intubation—or hypotensive when the surgeon hasn’t even made an incision yet? These aren't just random fluctuations. They're signals from the autonomic nervous system—and as a future CRNA, being able to interpret them can mean the difference between chasing vital signs and antic...

Join the Free CSPA Community! Get real answers and expert guidance in a welcoming space that's free from misinformation and negativity. You don't have to do this alone! Join Now: https://www.cspaedu.com/community

What if the hardest part of becoming a CRNA… is simply getting into school?

In this inspiring episode, Jenny sits down with Dalton, who recently gained CRNA school admission, proving that you don’t need years of...

Join the Free CSPA Community! Connect with Aspiring CRNAs, Nurse Anesthesia Residents, practicing CRNAs, and CRNA Program Faculty Mentors who are ready to support you. Get real answers and expert guidance in a welcoming space that's free from misinformation and negativity. You don't have to do this alone! Join Now: https://www.cspaedu.com/community

Nurse Mentorship is a game-changer for any one in the nursing profession, especially ...

FREE! CRNA School Interview Prep Guide: https://www.cspaedu.com/uc9a5ih4

Streamline your CRNA Success with the CSPA 6-Month Intensive. Get CRNA Faculty Coaching, Access to Exclusive Live Events and more. Click Here: https://www.cspaedu.com/sixmonthintensive

When it comes to mastering anesthesia, a solid understanding of acid-base balance and blood gas interpretation is non-negotiable. Whether you’re a nursing student, an ICU nu...